The eight rowers on the U.S. Women’s Rowing Team are splitting their time between on-the-water training and office work as they prepare for this year’s Paris Olympics.

Broadridge, a fintech company based in Lake Success, New York, that provides trading technology to asset managers, banks and public companies, recruited the rowers as part of its Elite Athlete Management Program.

The program, which currently has 10 participants (eight of whom qualified for this year’s Games), was inspired by Broadridge CEO Tim Gokey, who rowed in college, and Asset Management Managing Director Jean Reilly, who was a collegiate rower and dreamed of competing in the Olympics.

“I was also coaching, and there weren’t many opportunities to continue my career at the time,” Reilly told Financial Planning.

Reilly described herself as a “Title IX product” and said that when she started rowing, women were relatively new to the sport. Although she loved rowing, she didn’t always feel supported as an athlete.

“I would have stayed in the sport longer if I had someone to support me or if I could have started my career,” he said. “But I had to choose between making a career and continuing rowing.”

Broadridge wanted to create a program that would address this dilemma, helping athletes perform well in their sports and providing them with financial security and support as they embarked on careers outside of sports.

“America doesn’t send athletes to the Olympics. Americans do. … If America is going to be great at track and field, we’re definitely going to have to support the athletes,” Reilly said.

Rowing towards a professional career, one stroke at a time

Participating in the Broadridge program were Olympic rowers Molly Bruggeman, Charlotte Buck, Azja Czajkowski, Emily Kallfelz, Molly Reckford, Regina Salmons, Michelle Sechser and Jessica Thoennes.

Broadridge athletes made up nearly a third of Team USA’s female rowers.

The Broadridge rowers did not return with a medal this year, but all made it to the final rounds in Paris. Thoennes and Czajkowski finished fourth in the women’s two-person boat; Kallfelz finished fifth in the women’s four-person boat; Bruggeman, Buck and Salmons finished fifth in the eight-person boat; and Sechser and Reckford finished sixth in the lightweight two-person boat.

“The team performed very well at the Paris Olympics and we have a lot to be proud of,” Reckford said. “Our women’s team qualified for the Olympics for the fifth consecutive time in all women’s boats. We are the only country to do so at the last two Games. I am proud of what we did and excited to see where the team goes.”

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To prepare for the waters of the Vaires-sur-Marne Marine Stadium, the rowers woke up early in the morning and completed two to three workouts per day. In between morning and afternoon workouts, the athletes went online to complete their workouts for Broadridge.

Athletes who participate in Broadridge’s program are responsible for working 20 hours a week for the company, five days a week, from noon to 4 p.m.

“The flexibility provided by the Elite Athlete Management Program was essential to our ability to train,” Reckford said. “Broadridge did a great job helping us find roles within the company that allowed us to be flexible with both our daily schedules (starting later, finishing earlier or taking midday training breaks) and our longer-term schedules as training took up more of our time as the Games approached. Of course, managing work and training is a lot of work, but Broadridge was a great partner in helping us find the balance of doing both.”

Athletes work in a variety of departments at Broadridge, including strategy, client success, professional services and finance.

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Reckford, who rows in the women’s lightweight double sculls, said the financial support she received during her training with Broadridge helped her achieve both her athletic and career goals. Before Broadridge, she worked as an analyst at Citi and as a partner at Aetos Alternatives Management, based in Menlo Park, California.

“Working for Broadridge allowed me to pay rent on an apartment last year, even though I had to live with a host family,” Reckford said. “The Elite Athlete Management Program introduced me to nearly every executive at the company and helped create a pipeline for me to find mentors and build relationships with the executive leadership team.”

READ MORE: What’s the key to seeing more women in finance? Mentorship

Reilly said athletes are particularly attractive as potential employees Because of their intelligence, determination, knowledge and aptitude for teamwork.

Broadridge President Chris Perry sees this program as a great opportunity for Broadridge to recruit full-time athletes as their athletic careers transition from Olympic-level competition to the less demanding sport of club rowing.

“We feel like we’re doing our part as an American in some way,” she said. “We’re very happy to support the diversity agenda through women’s rowing. And we’re really excited about the potential of having these well-educated, very proven people join the company full time.”

READ MORE: Giving student athletes the opportunity to get started running through financial literacy

Moving away from his main interest in rowing, Reckford looks forward to his future at Broadridge.

“I want to find a place at Broadridge where I can be constantly challenged and learn, and the rotation program has definitely helped me learn about new areas of work that I would like to land in,” he said. “I don’t know exactly where my five-year plan is or if continuing rowing will be a part of it, but I would like to return to full-time work next year while I try to find my own professional North Star.”

New beginnings, broad horizons

Broadridge’s program, which partners with USRowing, the sport’s national governing organization, began with four athletes in 2022 and expanded to 10 the following year. USRowing sent Broadridge resumes from athletes with a range of experience, from recent college grads to MBAs, and they were looking to hire.

As part of the original three-year partnership, Broadridge was the primary sponsor of USRowing’s Youth National Championships and USRowing Golden Shovel Gala in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The company chose to hire female athletes because they are underrepresented in financial services.

“We love the diversity angle because it’s women’s rowing. We specifically chose women’s rowing to support that. We’re also trying to bring more women into them, into the organization, into the middle management ranks, and we said, ‘Okay, let’s find a way to support that,’” Perry said.

READ MORE: How can we remove barriers to women’s wealth management?

The program has been so successful that Broadridge has even been favored by other national teams who want their athletes to be included in the program.

Perry said he would like to expand the program, which complements Broadridge’s regular executive education efforts, to include athletes from other sports if budgets allow.

“We’re thinking about doing something because we feel like we’re opening up access to people who are educated and have a work ethic who can be great long-term partners,” he said.

Perry described the program as a “win-win” and a “circle of positivity” for Broadridge and the athletes.

“They can fully immerse themselves in their commitment to the Olympic program and their dreams, and they can work real jobs and do real projects, so that their professional resume doesn’t conflict with the time they spend training full time,” he said.

Support culture

Broadridge employees are deeply invested in their colleagues’ success at the Olympics.

“Emotionally, my team at Broadridge has been supportive of me since I got into the group in the fall,” Reckford said.

Reilly, who attended the Paris Olympics to watch Broadridge athletes compete, said the company created a private chat room where athletes can share updates on their training for all employees to see.

“It felt like 15,000 Broadridge employees around the world were there, all sending their positive wishes and motivation. And it was very contagious,” he said.

READ MORE: The Paris Olympics are the summer Davos for Wall Street executives

“We’re so proud of (them),” he said. “It’s incredible. We see the intensity they have on the water and how their teamwork translates into the office, how they do their jobs and the way they build teams and bring projects to life.”

Perry said the education program fits Broadridge’s mission to improve clients’ financial futures by strengthening their investing abilities through advisors.

“The outstanding talents who participate in this program are creating great performance and a future for our company that will last for generations,” he said.

READ MORE: Female athletes can help wealth management overcome succession hurdles

Reilly said the team sport of rowing also aligns with the company’s culture. “The culture is very much about teamwork and collaboration,” he said. “(The athletes) bring a lot to the table.”